Race Report: The top favourite and last rider off; Ellen Van Dijk of Holland stormed through the 22 kilometre course in Firenze to lead from start to finish. It wasn’t a done deal though as the riders starting before her were all giving 100% and the speed just got higher until we could take no more and Van Dijk shot into the Rainbow.

Who said women’s cycling was boring? Today showed that the women can put on a show to match anyone else at the World Championships. After the surprise early lead from Annika Langvad (Denmark), all the top riders surpassed each other building the excitement to the last pedal stroke when Van Dijk crossed the line fastest.

World Junior Men’s TT
Before we get to the women’s race though we had the Junior Men in the morning where Belgian Igor Decraene just beat Mathias Krigbaum of Denmark by less than 9 seconds, Zeke Mostov took the bronze medal for the US 21 seconds slower than the Belgians’ winning time of 26:56.83.

World Women’s Individual Time TrialThe Course:
The Elite Women’s time trial course was the same as the Junior Men; 22.06 kilometres all in the town of Firenze and its twisty streets. Unlike yesterday’s Men’s Under 23’s race there are not many long straights, but it was pan flat.

The Early Riders
The first of the 48 riders kicked out of the start gate at 14:30CET, without any wind and a temperature of 26ºC, although the word is that it felt much hotter in the warm-up area in a large car park. Katazina Sosna of Lithuania was the first down the ramp and into the first bend and the tight loop up and down the river side of the Arno. Unlike the previous championships, today the riders are starting at 2 minute intervals, as usual though, the top riders are off at the end of the start list; Worrack, Stevens, Antoshina, Zabelinskaya, Small, Gillow ,Villumsen and of course last woman off; Ellen Van Dijk.

The First Time Check
The first time check came after 12.6 kilometres at the Piazza Ognissanti and Sosna posted 17:17.78 for everyone else to aim for, her time didn’t last long as Canadian Denise Ramsden was a good 17 seconds faster.

Mid-way through the starters Annika Langvad (Denmark) was storming at 46 kilometres per hour, the question was if she could keep it up.

The top seeded riders started as Dutch rider Loes Gunnewijk came close to Langvad, but Langvad had set bar high, Longo Borghini also came close at 30 seconds down. Trixi Worrack started fast, but was still 8 seconds slower than Langvad.

Last off; Ellen Van Dijk (Netherlands) held the time of Langvad also Villunsen and Stevens were within 7 seconds of each other and Langvad.

The Second Time Check
The second time check on the Via Piagentina at the 16.4 kilometre mark; saw Sosna post a time of 23:02.63, but again it didn’t last that long and Ramsden came through in 22:32 at an average speed of 42 kph. French rider Melodie Lesueur was having a good ride as she went fastest through the first check and was marking Ramsden at the second.

Langvad could keep her effort going and came through the second check a minute ahead of all the previous riders in 21:27 and no one got close until Carmen Small (USA) edged into the lead at 16K’s by 4 seconds which was matched by team mate Evelyn Stevens and Linda Villimsen (New Zealand). Although Van Dijk was leading at a speed of 47 kilometres an hour.

Sosna 1st to Finish
Lithuanian Katazina Sosna finished in 30:41.17, but Ramsden beat her with a time of 30:06.46. Lesueur soon took the lead with 29:55.37, and was the first rider to go under half an hour. Next new leader was Swiss girl Jutta Stienen with a finishing time of 29:53.

Annika Langvad stormed over the line with a great time of 28:27.69 at almost 46 kph, but there were still all the top seeded riders to go. Valeriya Kononenko of the Ukraine managed to push Lesueur off the third place hot seat with 29:54, it didn’t last long as Cecilie Johnsen of Norway put up the second fastest.

Next fastest with a good finish time was Inga Cilvinaite (Lithuania); second place, but still a minute and a half down on Langvad. Gunnewijk put in a time 44 seconds down on Langvad to take the second spot and again that didn’t last as Longo Borghini pushed ahead of her.

The Top Riders Come In
Trixi Worrack (Germany) was the first to topple Langvad with 28:19.84; next to top was Carmen Small with 28:16.98, 2 seconds up on Worrack. Zabelinskaya of Russia was a favourite of many but she was disappointed out of the podium places.

In the last few Kilometres; Stevens pushed hard but was 0.04 of a second slower than Small, next Villumsen sprinted to the line to go top with 28:12.28 and it only left Van Dijk to come.

Van Dijk was out of the saddle out of the final corner and then onto the drops again for the last metres to cross the line in an amazing time of 27:48.18, that’s more than 47 kilometres an hour. Lots of emotion from the Dutch team as there were hugs and tears for the first time trial Rainbow jersey for Holland since Leontien van Moorsel in Verona in 1999.

After the finish all Van Dijk could say was that she was “super happy,” especially after the team time trial win.